Please share your elementary experience if it was in a Rockville area school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can, supplement with private. Our experience with speech is they group kids who are not similar in needs/ability together for 30 minute sessions with 3-4 kids per group so each kid is only really getting a few minutes of attention. They work on common issues the kids are having but if your child has different needs, like ours, those needs get ignored. Also, MCPS, depending on the school does not work a lot on handwriting and other fine/gross motor so that is something you really need to do private and work at home with.

Thanks for this input.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can, supplement with private. Our experience with speech is they group kids who are not similar in needs/ability together for 30 minute sessions with 3-4 kids per group so each kid is only really getting a few minutes of attention. They work on common issues the kids are having but if your child has different needs, like ours, those needs get ignored. Also, MCPS, depending on the school does not work a lot on handwriting and other fine/gross motor so that is something you really need to do private and work at home with.

THIS. The services in MCPS are dismal and you constantly have to fight to make sure your IEP or 504 plan is being followed. I would still get an IEP and/or 504 plan BUT I would be relying mainly on private speech and OT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had an IEP at College Gardens. We did a lot of private support and considered anything MCPS supplied an added bonus. There was just not that much available for a dyslexic kid. We did like the school in general though.

Thabks for sharing your experience. Does CG have a reading specialist or anyone specific who works with kids that have dyslexia?

Yes there is a reading specialist but no specfic programs for dyslexic kids. We did that all privately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can, supplement with private. Our experience with speech is they group kids who are not similar in needs/ability together for 30 minute sessions with 3-4 kids per group so each kid is only really getting a few minutes of attention. They work on common issues the kids are having but if your child has different needs, like ours, those needs get ignored. Also, MCPS, depending on the school does not work a lot on handwriting and other fine/gross motor so that is something you really need to do private and work at home with.

THIS. The services in MCPS are dismal and you constantly have to fight to make sure your IEP or 504 plan is being followed. I would still get an IEP and/or 504 plan BUT I would be relying mainly on private speech and OT.

Op here. How are the special ed teachers and paras or gen ed teachers when working with kids who need extra support? Are they at least supportive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had an IEP at College Gardens. We did a lot of private support and considered anything MCPS supplied an added bonus. There was just not that much available for a dyslexic kid. We did like the school in general though.

Thabks for sharing your experience. Does CG have a reading specialist or anyone specific who works with kids that have dyslexia?

Yes there is a reading specialist but no specfic programs for dyslexic kids. We did that all privately.

Im shocked there is no program. In our old district out of state, teachers had dyslexia training and it seemed to be something they really offered support for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can, supplement with private. Our experience with speech is they group kids who are not similar in needs/ability together for 30 minute sessions with 3-4 kids per group so each kid is only really getting a few minutes of attention. They work on common issues the kids are having but if your child has different needs, like ours, those needs get ignored. Also, MCPS, depending on the school does not work a lot on handwriting and other fine/gross motor so that is something you really need to do private and work at home with.

THIS. The services in MCPS are dismal and you constantly have to fight to make sure your IEP or 504 plan is being followed. I would still get an IEP and/or 504 plan BUT I would be relying mainly on private speech and OT.

Op here. How are the special ed teachers and paras or gen ed teachers when working with kids who need extra support? Are they at least supportive?

Its very teacher dependent. We had no issue getting an IEP or services. We were worried based on experiences here. What is strange in our school is they don't allow parents into the classroom, so its impossible to know what they are doing as we get no information except a report card that says P. Teachers don't communicate at all what is going on in the classroom and we just get a rare call with a minimal concern or question. Its very frustrating to be locked out of your child's education when working together would clearly benefit our child and most kids. The speech therapy is not worth much. To supplement private its fine but do not rely on it as a primary support. Our school funnels most of the SN kids into one classroom (which people here say isn't legal) regardless of the need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had an IEP at College Gardens. We did a lot of private support and considered anything MCPS supplied an added bonus. There was just not that much available for a dyslexic kid. We did like the school in general though.

Thabks for sharing your experience. Does CG have a reading specialist or anyone specific who works with kids that have dyslexia?

Yes there is a reading specialist but no specfic programs for dyslexic kids. We did that all privately.

Im shocked there is no program. In our old district out of state, teachers had dyslexia training and it seemed to be something they really offered support for.

We have friends in CA and they didn't catch it for years and school had no supports for the child once it was caught. I think its pretty common in many areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can, supplement with private. Our experience with speech is they group kids who are not similar in needs/ability together for 30 minute sessions with 3-4 kids per group so each kid is only really getting a few minutes of attention. They work on common issues the kids are having but if your child has different needs, like ours, those needs get ignored. Also, MCPS, depending on the school does not work a lot on handwriting and other fine/gross motor so that is something you really need to do private and work at home with.

THIS. The services in MCPS are dismal and you constantly have to fight to make sure your IEP or 504 plan is being followed. I would still get an IEP and/or 504 plan BUT I would be relying mainly on private speech and OT.

Op here. How are the special ed teachers and paras or gen ed teachers when working with kids who need extra support? Are they at least supportive?

Its very teacher dependent. We had no issue getting an IEP or services. We were worried based on experiences here. What is strange in our school is they don't allow parents into the classroom, so its impossible to know what they are doing as we get no information except a report card that says P. Teachers don't communicate at all what is going on in the classroom and we just get a rare call with a minimal concern or question. Its very frustrating to be locked out of your child's education when working together would clearly benefit our child and most kids. The speech therapy is not worth much. To supplement private its fine but do not rely on it as a primary support. Our school funnels most of the SN kids into one classroom (which people here say isn't legal) regardless of the need.

Gotcha, thanks for your response. Which school are you at? Surprised parents are allowed to visit the class or anything

[Anonymous]

Good experience at Maryvale a few years ago...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had an IEP at College Gardens. We did a lot of private support and considered anything MCPS supplied an added bonus. There was just not that much available for a dyslexic kid. We did like the school in general though.

Thabks for sharing your experience. Does CG have a reading specialist or anyone specific who works with kids that have dyslexia?

Yes there is a reading specialist but no specfic programs for dyslexic kids. We did that all privately.

Im shocked there is no program. In our old district out of state, teachers had dyslexia training and it seemed to be something they really offered support for.

MD actually does not even label dyslexia as a LD. There is no code for it. The IEP falls under other learning issue (something like that).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good experience at Maryvale a few years ago...

Thank you!!